Gifted and Distractible

Praise

“Julie Skolnick’s compassionate and practical guide demystifies the complexities of both giftedness and learning differences, and shows both parents and professionals how to support twice exceptional kids to help them self-actualize.”  
—Scott Barry Kaufman, PhD, host of The Psychology Podcast and author of Transcend
 
“What a gift this book is to the family with a curious, clever, creative, and oh, so challenging 2e child!  Julie Skolnick brilliantly guides parents (and anyone else listening) to understand 2e kids deeply, to employ hundreds of calming and compassionate strategies, and to advocate for gifted and distractible individuals, at home, at school, and out in the world.” 
—Carol Stock Kranowitz, author of The Out-of-Sync Child
 
“A wonderful guide to twice exceptional/2e children and adults. Bright and disabled children are often misunderstood. Their intellectual gifts often mask their weaknesses. Their disabilities can present obstacles to their cognitive promise. Such uneven developmental profiles often lead to undernourishment of strengths and underestimation of impairment. In this comprehensive review, Skolnick shines a light on this complexity. This gem of a book will go a long way toward helping parents and children achieve, as Skolnick suggests, both understanding and calm. As a developmental pediatrician I give this book my strongest recommendation.”
—Dan Shapiro, MD, Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrician and creator of ParentChildJourney.com
 
“This comprehensive and timely book will be a life-saver for many overwhelmed parents of twice-exceptional children. Skolnick offers parents enormous insight into the inner experience of children who have advanced cognitive abilities and yet also have learning, attentional, and/or social differences, as well emotional challenges. Providing dozens of excellent strategies and experience-tested tools parents learn to advocate to teachers, administrators, coaches, and scout leaders — and anyone else who has the potential for influencing their child in positive ways.” 
—William Stixrud, Ph.D., co-author of The Self-Driven Child and clinical neuropsychologist and faculty member at Children’s National Medical Center and George Washington University Medical School

“Gifted and Distractible is filled with important information and helpful models to frame approaches for understanding and supporting these special youngsters. Julie Skolnick presents issues using stories that all parents can relate to as they strive to nurture and support their 2e child. Filled with gems throughout, this is a book that parents will find helpful, interesting, and insightful.”
—Susan Baum, Ph.D., Chancellor, Bridges Graduate School of Cognitive Diversity in Education

“Julie Skolnick has long been the go-to expert for helping parents and educators understand twice-exceptional kids, so I’m thrilled that she’s finally sharing her wisdom and insights in Gifted and Distractible so we can ALL work toward the best possible outcomes for these fascinating, complex learners! Comprehensive, nuanced, and actionable, Gifted and Distractible will certainly become the go-to book for any parent of a 2e child.”
—Debbie Reber, founder & CEO Tilt Parenting, author of Differently Wired

“Gifted and Distractible is literally the 2e playbook to help parents understand their 2e child and help them thrive. Julie Skolnick, a passionate guide and advocate, set out to give families and all those who care about 2e individuals a roadmap filled with strategies to take action and create positive change. Mission accomplished! This comprehensive book is filled with Julie’s wisdom and experience on every page. Approachable, digestible, and actionable, Julie guides parents in bringing out the best in their 2e child and teaches how to help others do the same.”  
—Dan Peters, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist, Co-founder and Executive Director, Summit Center; author of Make Your Worrier a Warrior and co-author of Bright Complex Kids

“Gifted and Distractible is a wonderful resource that will make a valuable addition to the book collection of anyone working with 2e learners! Weaving stories with research and advice, Julie Skolnick takes a deep dive into the lives of 2e learners, describing their educational, social, and emotional needs. With practical tips and tools, this book will improve the quality of life for families by guiding parents toward both resources and solutions. Gifted and Distractible will be referred to over and over by caring advocates working to meet the challenging needs of the sensitive, asynchronous children in their lives.” 
—Edward R. Amend, Psy.D., co-author of A Parent’s Guide to Gifted Children and Clinical Psychologist at The Amend Group